Help, how to stream music?

[stupot43]

Hi everyone, first of all let me apologise if this subject has been covered elsewhere on the Forums.

I have just purchased some KEF LSX II Wireless Hi-Fi Speakers from Peter Tyson on a great Black Friday deal, with the intention of using them in the room where I spend most of my time and to stream music from my Sony digital player. However, my main hi-fi units ie CD player & Turntable are in another room and I would like to know if & how I can stream music from them to the Kef's. I have a lot of older vinyls which I would like to listen to but not go to the hassle of turning them into digital files (very time consuming).

I haven't a clue where to start or even if it is possible. Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[jjbomber]

Bluetooth is the obvious answer, but what exactly is your turntable connected to?

 

[stupot43]

Turntable is connected to my av reciever via phono pre-amplifier Project Tube Box DS.

 

[Al ears]

Not my area of expertise but you're going to have to buy a Bluetooth transmitter device.
How and where you would connect this to your AV Receiver someone else can probably answer, that or Google it.....

 

[stupot43]

Should I buy a streaming device?

 

[Gray]

...my main hi-fi units ie CD player & Turntable are in another room and I would like to know if & how I can stream music from them to the Kef's.

You need to be looking for a fixed analogue line output on your receiver.

Then see Vincent's post about the Wiim.

 

[Vincent Kars]

KEF LSX II Wireless

They do support WiFi so you can send lossless audio to them (Bluetooth is lossy compression).
As you have analog sources, have a look at the WiiM Pro. It has a ADC so can convert your analog sources to digital and send then over the WiFi to the LSX

 

[Gray]

and send then over the WiFi to the LSX

That's true.
You're not limited to the Wiim's Bluetooth transmission 👍

 

[Al ears]

They do support WiFi so you can send lossless audio to them (Bluetooth is lossy compression).
As you have analog sources, have a look at the WiiM Pro. It has a ADC so can convert your analog sources to digital and send then over the WiFi to the LSX

So how exactly does he attach a Bluetooth sender to his A V Receiver to send output of his turntable. Might be nice to know.

 

[Revolutions]

So how exactly does he attach a Bluetooth sender to his A V Receiver to send output of his turntable. Might be nice to know.

Headphone out of the stereo?

 

[Al ears]

Headphone out of the stereo?

Please explain? Exactly how?

 

[daveh75]

So how exactly does he attach a Bluetooth sender to his A V Receiver to send output of his turntable. Might be nice to know.

It would be handy to know make/model but AVRs often have Zone outputs

 

[Gray]

So how exactly does he attach a Bluetooth sender to his A V Receiver to send output of his turntable. Might be nice to know.

By connecting any available, fixed, analogue line output of the receiver to the input of a BT sender.

But he's not limited to BT with the Wiim Pro.
Its line input would allow him to put the receiver's output onto the wi-fi network....for the Kefs to find.

 

[Vincent Kars]

If the AV has digital out, I would prefer a transmitter with Toslink input.
If the output is analog, one can use the record out (fixed) and use the volume control of the KEF.
Pre-out or headphone out can do the job as well.

 

[Vincent Kars]

for the Kefs to find

As the AV is in another room and Bluetooth is limited to 10 m (line of sight), WiFi might be a better solution as it is simply more powerful.

 

[Gray]

If the AV has digital out, I would prefer a transmitter with Toslink input.

Yes and the Wiim Pro even has one.

 

[stupot43]

Thanks everyone for your replies, it's been enlightening reading them and it's given me a starting point as to what to look for.

The Wiim Pro looks promising and its not too expensive.

It would be handy to know make/model but AVRs often have Zone outputs

Dave, its a Marantz SR-7012 reciever, afew years old now but it does the job well.

 

[Gray]

Dave, its a Marantz SR-7012 reciever

...which does have a zone 2 (and 3) output.

 

[stupot43]

...which does have a zone 2 (and 3) output.

Yes, thats right.

 

[Gray]

Yes, thats right.

I had a scan through the 344 page user manual for your receiver.
No wonder those things are so expensive. It got me wondering how many people in the world fully understand all the variables and options - apart from maybe a small team at Marantz.

Anyway, pages 164-170 will help you to use zone 2 RCA audio output for your purpose.

If it was me, I'd be running a twin screened cable in some (very unobtrusive) thin trunking from Marantz Z2 output, directly into the 3.5mm aux input on the Kef.
Believe me, you don't even know the wire is there (especially if it goes through a dividing wall directly into the back of each unit).

But you can do it wirelessly if you go for that Wiim Pro, by going into its line input.

Ideally you'd have a fixed output from the receiver - so that volume control is done only at the Kef end (where you will be listening). However, the zone outs vary with the Marantz volume control - but only while they're selected!.....So, as you'll gather from the instructions, it looks like Z2 out will effectively be fixed - once you've set it - then switched away, back to controlling the 'main' zone volume of the receiver.
You'll also need to assign a '2-channel output' to zone 2 sockets.
(Main AV receiver and Kef zones can be the same or different receiver sources).

Once you've experimented, getting Z2 output level set where you want it, then you'll have independent control of the main receiver volume without affecting what's going to the Kefs - so that you can control the Kefs volume with their own control.

 

[stupot43]

I had a scan through the 344 page user manual for your receiver.
No wonder those things are so expensive. It got me wondering how many people in the world fully understand all the variables and options - apart from maybe a small team at Marantz.

Anyway, pages 164-170 will help you to use zone 2 RCA audio output for your purpose.

If it was me, I'd be running a twin screened cable in some (very unobtrusive) thin trunking from Marantz Z2 output, directly into the 3.5mm aux input on the Kef.
Believe me, you don't even know the wire is there (especially if it goes through a dividing wall directly into the back of each unit).

But you can do it wirelessly if you go for that Wiim Pro, by going into its line input.

Ideally you'd have a fixed output from the receiver - so that volume control is done only at the Kef end (where you will be listening). However, the zone outs vary with the Marantz volume control - but only while they're selected!.....So, as you'll gather from the instructions, it looks like Z2 out will effectively be fixed - once you've set it - then switched away, back to controlling the 'main' zone volume of the receiver.
You'll also need to assign a '2-channel output' to zone 2 sockets.
(Main AV receiver and Kef zones can be the same or different receiver sources).

Once you've experimented, getting Z2 output level set where you want it, then you'll have independent control of the main receiver volume without affecting what's going to the Kefs - so that you can control the Kefs volume with their own control.

Thanks Gray. That was going to be my job this morning to look at the manual. However, reading the Wiim instructions, it seem that because I use a phono pre-amp and that it has two outputs, I can use the 2 output for the Wiim. This will negate the need for the AV reciever to be turned on. Anyway, thats the way I read it.

I know a wired solution would be the optimal solution, I'm afraid its not very practical for me to do. Too many walls to drill through as the Kefs wont be in an adjacent room to the HI-Fi units and She who must be obeyed, wouldn't be very happy. Its taken me 3 years to convince her that the projector would be better fixed to the ceiling.

 

[Gray]

...reading the Wiim instructions, it seem that because I use a phono pre-amp and that it has two outputs, I can use the 2 output for the Wiim. This will negate the need for the AV reciever to be turned on. Anyway, thats the way I read it.

Perfect.
One of the least hyped facilities on that Wiim is what makes it ideal for you 👍
Good luck.

 

[stupot43]

Speakers arrived yesterday, and they sound amazing for there size. I had the Olive Green, I know it probably isn't peoples most favourite colour, but it suits us. If there is one thing that I am a litte disappointed about is the colour of the drive units. In all the photo's I've seen they look a bright copper colour but in reality they are a dull copper colour, but its a minor point.

I have also recieved the Wiim. I had the ProPlus version in the end because of the better specs. I haven't had chance to set that up yet.

Once again just like to thank everyone for the help but special thanks to Vincent Kars who pointed me towards the Wiim.

 

[stupot43]

One thing I couldn't find about the Kefs was how long to "run them in" so off went an email to Kef support. I've just had an email from them and to my surprise they recomend a "running in time" of 40-50 hrs. Didn't think it would be that long.